Alyssa – A – 90%

Critical Analysis of Shearing the Rams by Tom Roberts

Tom Roberts painted “Shearing the Rams” in 1890, using oil on canvas measuring 119 x 180
cm.
The painting allows the viewer to see in side a shearing shed, looking past a line of working
shearers, to the back of the shed where other workers are congregated. A young barefoot boy
in the left foreground is carrying a large amount of wool while another young boy in the
middle of the shed appears to be sweeping or mopping the floor. On the right side of the shed
is an old man with white hair and beard, wearing a white safari style hat, sitting on his heels
watching the shearers.
In the midst of the clamor and action of the painting are 5 or 6 rams. Comment [B1]: Clear inventory of
subject matter describing literal elements
The internal structure of the shearing shed is described by different lines; the wooden floor
boards, posts, ceiling rafters and the pattern on the men’s shirts. The colour of the painting is
light in the foreground with a lot of white and high key colour and darker in the background,
with more low key browns.
Textures appear in the soft sheep’s wool, the grain of the wood and the beards and hair of the
men. Comment [B2]: Clear description of the
elements; line, colour, texture, referring
closely to the painting.
Depth is created in this composition by the line of shearers receding in size and clarity to the
back of the shed. The use of one point perspective can be seen in the picture below, with the
lines converging to the vanishing point. Comment [B3]: The student moves into
analysis and shows a discerning
understanding of functional qualities e.g.
one point perspective.

Comment [B4]: Use of example

enhances explanation.

Roberts uses white and high key colours to attract the eye of the viewer to the shearer in the
foreground and then leads the eye past the line of shearers to the light open doorway to the
back of the shed, forward again along the light diagonal half wall to the front of the painting
again. Comment [B5]: Reveals understanding
of terminology and functional qualities of
The contrast between the light colours in the lower two thirds of the painting and darker composition
background gives a greater sense of depth and allows us to focus on the workers.
The front shearer is emphasized by being painted in greater detail; noted in the red stripes of
his shirt, his lighter colour, his size in relation to others and the surrounding empty space. Comment [B6]: Insightful explanation
of the academic arrangement of the
There is a kind of rhythm in the painting, demonstrated by the row of shearers, the cylindrical composition
pillars and linear rafters and floor boards. All add interest to the composition.

I think that Tom Roberts was trying to show the viewer what Australia looked like and what
was important to the nation; that is to work hard, no matter the conditions and to work
together to improve the lives of family and country. Comment [B7]: Reveals an
understanding of the nationalistic motives
I get the feeling of a very tight community of people who supported each other in their work behind the painting.
and a feeling of pride that the shearers would have felt in their work in support of the
growing Australian economy.
I think that the boy on the left walking past the shearers represented a new generation of
workers in the country, whereas the squatting old man on the right symbolized the older
generation’s tiredness after all their efforts in the settling of Australia. The central row of
shearers, in my mind, represented the current generation who had taken ownership of the
country and were prepared to work hard for it. Comment [B8]: Refers closely to parts
of the painting when developing a
The high key colours and short brush strokes broke with the European tradition of painting in hypothesis
Australia and Roberts was showing his independence as an artist. Comment [B9]: Comments on the style
and technique support the idea of
nationalism in terms of a new vision in
I value this painting because it represents such an important turning point in our history (the Australia.
defining of Australian values and lifestyles). It shows the new use of high key colour to
depict the Australian light. I admire Tom Roberts for his courage in taking up a new style of
painting. Comment [B10]: Judges the art work as
successful as a record of Australian social
I would say that this is an excellent art work because it shows mastery of composition and history.
paint technique and a true representation of Australian colour. Comment [B11]: Evaluates the quality
I would be proud to display this painting in my home or office because as it would help more of the work
people understand Australia’s history and what it was really like. Comment [B12]: Gives a personal
affirmation of the success of the work.

Word count: 589

 Critical

CRITERIA A B C3 D E

1. DESCRIPTION: Makes a Makes an Names and Names and Briefly names

identifies things about the complete inventory of the describes the describes some one or two
work that can be seen, inventory of the subject matter obvious objects of the obvious objects
named, and described subject matter and/or elements and subject objects and "There is a
-describing the literal and and/or elements accompanied by matter. subject matter. girl."
significant artistic elements. accompanied by a capable
a thorough description.
description.
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2. ANALYSIS : determines Discerning Considerable Appropriate Some Limited
how the work of art is understanding of understanding recognition of awareness of awareness of
organized aesthetic or of aesthetic or aesthetic or aesthetic or the need to
knowledge and understanding functional functional functional functional understand
of aesthetic and functional qualities in qualities in qualities in qualities in aesthetic or
qualities in visual artworks. visual artworks. visual artworks. visual artworks. visual artworks. functional
qualities in
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3. INTERPRETATION: Forms a Forms a Appropriate Identifies the Relates a
identifies the ideas, feelings, discerning hypothesis understanding literal meaning personal
or moods communicated by hypothesis about about the of the symbolic with little response, i.e.,
the artwork. the symbolic or symbolic or and metaphoric evidence. ideas, feelings
metaphorical metaphorical meaning with or moods.
meaning and meaning and some "It makes me
comprehensively substantiates the substantiation sad."
substantiates the interpretation of evidence
interpretation with evidence from the art
with relevant from the work.
evidence from artwork.
the artwork.
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Focused and Well-considered Considered Some Limited
4. EVALUATION: judges
coherent evaluation of evaluation of consideration of consideration of
the quality or success of the
evaluation of the the work against work against against criteria. visual artwork
work based on criteria.
work against criteria. criteria. against criteria.
evaluation of visual artwork
criteria.
against set criteria.
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5. VISUAL ARTS Highly Capable use of Mostly correct Occasional use Emerging use of
LANGUAGE proficient use of language and use of language of visual art visual art
use of visual arts language and language and terminologies to and language or language or
terminologies in interpretation terminologies to interpret and terminologies to terminologies. terminology.
and response interpret and respond to interpret and
respond to a visual artworks, respond to
range of visual issues, and visual artworks,
artworks, issues, questions issues, and
and questions. questions.
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